Book of Dead

By Play'n GO

Book of Dead

⭐ 8 / 10
Slots / Pokies 5 reels, 10 paylines
StudioPlay'n GO
RTP96.21% (low-RTP versions exist — always check)
VolatilityHigh
Max win5,000x
Reels5 reels, 10 paylines

The Judge's Verdict

Few slots have aged this well. Book of Dead is the desert-temple spinner that turned explorer Rich Wilde into a household name and the expanding-symbol “book” round into something half the industry has since copied. Ten paylines, one big mechanic, and a bonus that can absolutely detonate — this is the high-volatility classic players still chase a decade on.

✔ The good

  • The expanding-symbol bonus is genuinely thrilling
  • Genre-defining, endlessly familiar
  • Big 5,000x ceiling on ten lines
  • Runs beautifully on mobile

⚠ The catch

  • Brutal high volatility — long dead spells
  • Widely deployed in cut-down low-RTP versions
  • No bonus buy
  • Base game can feel sparse

How Book of Dead plays

Here’s the loop, and why it’s so moreish: you spin a fairly bare five-reel grid hunting three golden Books. Land them and you get ten free spins — but first the game picks one symbol at random as the expanding special. Draw a low card and it’s a shrug. Draw Rich Wilde himself and your heart rate spikes, because if he lands and expands across all three middle reels, you’re looking at one of those clips that gets people into slots in the first place.

That single decision — which symbol gets chosen — is the whole game. It makes the free spins a story every time instead of just a payout. The base game can run cold and dry; this is high volatility and it plays like it, long stretches of nothing punctuated by a bonus that either fizzles or pays for your week.

The catch. Book of Dead is one of the most notorious titles for RTP versions: the headline figure is 96.21%, but operators can serve cut-down builds as low as the mid-80s. It’s the same game, paying you meaningfully less. Always open the info screen and check the RTP before you spin — on this one more than most.

Features

Expanding-symbol free spins; Book is both wild and scatter

Play’n GO’s Egyptian-adventure classic and the slot that made the “book” mechanic a genre of its own.

FAQ

What is the RTP of Book of Dead?

The standard RTP is 96.21%, but Play'n GO offers lower-RTP versions that operators can deploy — some well below 90%. Always check the in-game info screen.

What is the max win on Book of Dead?

5,000x your stake, won through the expanding-symbol free-spins round.

Does Book of Dead have a bonus buy?

No. Free spins trigger only by landing three or more Book symbols — there is no feature-buy option in the original.